


La Douleur Exquise

by Dreamin



Series: In Other Words [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 07:55:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14444781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: "La Douleur Exquise(French): The heart-wrenching pain of wanting someone you can’t have."





	La Douleur Exquise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> There's a list of "untranslatable" relationship terms on Tumblr. I thought they'd make good fic prompts. **afteriwake** picked this one and Sebolly as the pair.

Molly only half-listened to Sherlock’s big reveal of who the killer was as she straightened up the path lab. Most of her attention was fixated on the man standing just outside the group of people surrounding the consulting detective. Sebastian Moran was relatively new to Sherlock’s found family and Molly knew he still felt like an outsider sometimes.

 _God, he’s gorgeous,_ she thought for the millionth time. _All that muscle, but he moves so gracefully, like a panther or something. And that ginger hair, I just want to run my fingers through it._ Seb glanced her way and she quickly went back to her task. _Of course, the best thing about him is his heart. He’d risk anything for any of us. Even Sherlock, and those two are always trying to one-up each other. They’re even worse than Sherlock is with Mycroft._

 _Of course, Seb has scores of women throwing themselves at him_. A little voice in her head spoke up. _Why don’t you ask him out?_ Molly shook her head slightly. _I couldn’t do that, he’d just turn me down. It would be too embarrassing and I’d never be able to face him again._ The voice pressed on. _But what if he accepts?_

 _What if he accepts then we start dating then he dumps me when he realizes how dull I really am?_ Molly countered. _I definitely couldn’t face him again after that. No, it’s better to just love him from a distance._ She looked up to see Greg leave in a hurry. _Sherlock’s big reveal must be over and Greg’s off to arrest the guilty party._

The consulting detective himself and the Watsons were putting on their coats. Oddly, Seb wasn’t doing the same.

“Are we still meeting for lunch tomorrow?” Mary asked, smiling.

Molly smiled back. “Yeah, barring any unscheduled visits from this one.” She inclined her head towards Sherlock. “You know how he likes to monopolize my time.”

Sherlock just rolled his eyes. “Laters.” With a swish of his Belstaff, he was out the door.

Seb muttered something Molly couldn’t hear but Mary, who was closer, smirked. “Well, text me if you can’t make it.”

“I will,” Molly promised.

The Watsons said their goodbyes then left, leaving Molly alone with Seb.

“Sorry about the mess,” he said, smiling a bit. “You know how Holmes gets when there’s a case.”

She found herself smiling back. “Yes, but he never cleans up after himself when he’s not on a case either.”

He chuckled. “Right. While I’m here, why don’t I escort you home?”

Molly could feel her heart start to race and her hormones go into overdrive at just the thought of sharing a cab with the sniper. The rational part of her decided to nip that in the bud. She smiled at him, praying it looked natural. “Thank you but I’m a big girl, I can take a cab across town by myself.”

Seb grinned at her and she just wanted to melt. “I insist. Holmes stopped one criminal tonight but this city’s full of people who’d love to hurt a lady like you.”

That made her curious. “And what exactly is ‘a lady like me?’”

He chuckled. “Anything I say to that would just be digging myself deeper into this hole I’ve just made.” Seb pulled on his leather jacket, smiling a bit. “Let me take you home, if for no other reason than ensuring I can sleep guilt-free tonight.”

 _He’s so adorable, it’s just not fair._ “Well, since you put it that way…”

Within the first three minutes of getting into the cab, Molly was regretting that decision. Seb’s presence was so big that he seemed to fill the back seat, leaving her to practically press herself against the door to keep from touching him. Even so, he was still assaulting her other senses. Faded blue jeans and a grey t-shirt were sinfully tight on his frame, and his cologne mixed with the scent of his leather jacket. _Good God, could he be any sexier?_

Then he grinned at her and she had her answer. “You’re practically out of the cab, Molly. I promise I won’t bite.”

 _That deep voice is so damn sexy. What if I want you to bite me?_ Shaking her head a bit, she forced herself to relax and moved closer to him. Their knees touched and she had to suppress a shiver. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she honestly was ready to swoon.

Seb chuckled. “Relax. You’ve had a long day.”

“So did you.” She smiled a bit. “Keeping Sherlock and John out of danger is a full-time job.”

“Tell me about it,” he muttered. “Mycroft should be giving me hazard pay.”

“Well, knowing Sherlock, he’ll crash for the next day and a half, at least.”

“Yeah, then it starts all over again as soon as he picks his next case.” He chuckled. “But I can’t complain, this beats my old job by a mile.” He grinned at her. “The company, especially, is the best.”

_If I die at this moment, I could honestly say I died happily._

* * *

Sure enough, Sherlock was on another case two days later. Molly had just put the victim’s body back into cold storage when Sebastian came in, smiling when he saw her.

“There you are. Holmes wants you in the lab.”

“I’ll be right up.” She surreptitiously looked him over. The dark slate blue suit brought out his eyes, and the white dress shirt with the first two buttons undone made her hands itch to unto the rest. _Bloody hell, is he trying to kill me? It’s bad enough I dreamt of him last night and woke up incredibly horny. Ugh…_ She managed a smile. “You look good. Do you have a date tonight?”

Seb grinned his thanks. “If I play my cards right, yeah.”

Molly could feel her heart plummet. “Right.”

The case turned out to be a three and Sherlock solved it as soon as the test results on the evidence were in. Everyone left Molly alone in the path lab to clean up after Sherlock texted Greg.

 _Seb’s gone on his date by now,_ she thought morosely. _I don’t know why he was even in doubt, of course whoever he asked out would say yes._ Turning off the lights after she put on her coat and grabbed her bag, Molly locked the lab then headed down the hall. _I was going to have fish tonight but screw it, Ben & Jerry’s it is._

She saw him as soon as the elevator doors opened, leaning against the wall beside her front door, patiently waiting. Seb grinned when he saw her.

 _Oh God, Sherlock must need something,_ she thought. _I can’t believe he had the gall to interrupt Seb’s date._ She smiled weakly as she approached him. “Hi, Seb. Sorry about this.”

“About what?” he asked, confused.

“Sherlock interrupting your date so you could come get me. Must be at least a seven. Um, the case, I mean. I’m sure your date’s a ten.” _Just keep rubbing it in, why don’t you?_

“I wasn’t on a date,” he said, looking at her curiously.

“Oh, you hadn’t left yet. I hope she’s understanding.” She shifted her bag to her other shoulder. “I guess we should get going, Sherlock’s probably chomping at the bit. Maybe if we’re lucky, you can still go on your date.”

“Molly…” He sighed quietly. “Sherlock didn’t send me.”

“Oh! Then is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Let’s talk inside.”

“Okay…” Confused, she unlocked the door then led the way inside. After hanging up her coat and setting her purse on the small table in the foyer, she walked into the open kitchen-sitting room, Seb following her. “Would you like some tea?” she asked.

Seb smiled a bit, leaning against the counter. “Sure.”

She put the kettle on then turned to him. “So, um, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, I’m just here to pick up my date.”

Molly stared at him. _I must be hearing things._ “Pardon?”

He chuckled. “I wanted to take you out tonight. Dinner and a movie? Benadryl Cabbagepatch’s latest is out, I know how much you like him.”

“His name is … never mind. You … you want to date me?” _Am I dreaming?_

“I’ve wanted to date you since we met.” Seb gave her a heart-melting grin. “I thought it was finally time I got up my courage and asked.” He moved closer, murmuring, “What do you say, Molly?”

“Yes!” she squeaked then blushed bright red. “Um, yes.”

Seb just grinned.


End file.
